The secret to intentional rest and recovery
We’re reaching that point in the semester/year/pandemic where things might be feeling realllly hard for you. Maybe you feel sluggish and tired, overwhelmed by everything you need to do in a short period of time, or are having a hard time disconnecting from work.
When I experience periods like this, where work seems to take over all aspects of life and I can’t step away, I break out a secret weapon: active rest.
What is active rest?
Active rest refers to engaging in any recreational, restful, or restorative activities that require your full attention and/or participation, like reading a book, working on a puzzle, or playing a game. Active rest activities require you to focus your attention on the activity at hand. This is counter to more passive rest activities, like napping or watching TV, where it becomes easy to be distracted scrolling your phone, or even pull out your laptop to answer a few emails.
Now don’t get me wrong, there is a time and place for passive rest, but honestly, when I’m really stressed and need to re-charge, active rest activities are the ones that help me disconnect from what’s bothering me and make time for myself.
Active rest is something that I started practicing in graduate school, when I noticed that I had a really hard time disconnecting during certain non-work activities. In fact, I’d often try to do both work and rest activities at the same time, like trying to write a paper while watching TV. Shockingly, this did not result in either stellar work or rest: as Ron Swanson would say, instead of half-assing two things, I needed to whole-ass one thing.
As a student, I found that video games were the ideal active rest activity for me. Playing a video game demands all of your attention - I couldn’t scroll my phone or have my laptop out while playing. I’d get sucked into the story or the action of whatever game I was playing. It became the perfect activity to help me recover and disconnect.
Another important aspect of active rest is to make sure you’re tuning in to what you really need in the moment, without pushing yourself into what you think you “should” do. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve unsuccessfully tried to force myself to read a book, despite feeling exhausted and unfocused. Be realistic with yourself about what kind of rest and recovery you most need. This will help you get the most out of your active rest time and avoid the guilty feelings that come along with “should-ing” yourself.
10 active rest ideas
If you’re looking for some ideas of active rest activities to try, I’ve included a list to help you get started below. This list is not exhaustive! If you think of others and decide to try them out, I’d love to hear about it! I’m always looking for new ideas, so feel free to send me an email!
Go for a walk
Do a puzzle
Play a board game
Do a creative activity, like cross-stitch, knitting, or painting (I’m no artist, but I love using the drawing app on my iPad as an active rest activity!)
Cook or bake something
Read a book
Play a video game (as a grad student, I loved Mass Effect and Skyrim. These days, I love to unwind with The Sims!)
Draw in an adult coloring book
Work on a crossword or sudoku puzzle
Do a physical self-care activity, like a face mask, a long bath, or painting your nails (my favorite!)
